Texas Rangers Blog

Josh Hamilton leaves game with tight groin

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – No sooner had the Rangers seemingly made their peace with Josh Hamilton playing center field than were they reminded why it’s such a risky proposition.

Hamilton, who made his fourth consecutive start in center Friday, left the game with tightness in his left groin. While the Rangers are perhaps simply being cautious, any Hamilton groin issue is a serious one. He’s twice had serious groin injuries that turned into sports hernias, requiring surgery.

The left side is also the side that had the most recent attention. Hamilton strained his groin early in the 2011 postseason, but continued to play with pain through the World Series. After the World Series, he had the hernia on the left side surgically-repaired in Philadelphia.